By your Side
by Midnight Rain
Summary: Ballroom dancing, shining blue eyes, musical voice. Why does it feel like he hasn't seen her in years? Spike - Faye at the end. Spike-Julia in beginning.


**Note: _This is the first Cowboy Bebop Fic I have ever written. Not counting the one with Eternity. Shades of Winter. This one is alone. It's a Spike – Faye fic at the end, but in the beginning it's a Spike - Julia fic. But, please, please, read and review. I would love to know what you think of it.  I do not own Cowboy Bebop. I do not own this song. It belongs to Sade, 'By your side.'_**

                                                                     **_By your Side_**

                                                            _You think I'd leave your side, baby?_

_                                                                You know me better than that_

The soft, soothing Jazz floated through the dimly lit room. It drifted past the swaying bodies. Past the conversations, and candlelit tables. Only to fill my ears with its sweet melody. It sounded sorrowful and lonely. It's saxophones secretly whispering of lost love and betrayal. 

But, I… I felt alive. More alive than I had in years- I couldn't place why I felt like I had just been born. But, staring into your sparkling blue eyes: a shady midnight mixed with light cotton blue; I didn't care. 

"Spike, I love you." I didn't have the words to describe the feeling that filled me at the sound of those words. 

You sat across from me in a tight, figure-hugging, ankle length, black dress. The candlelight sharpening and yet obscuring your features. Your lips were tinted a slight shiny peach, in which I could see the candle's dancing flame. In your eyes I saw my reflection. 

_You think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees_

_                                     I wouldn't do that…_

"Would you like to dance with me, Julia?" I reached my arm out to her, offering my hand. 

You smiled, a beautiful smile and took my hand. We stood simultaneously and as we drew near to the dance floor; I drew you closer to me. Until our bodies were touching and your head rested gently on my shoulder. You had fit – no, do fit, into my arms like they were made to wrap around you and only you. 

                                         _I'll tell you you're right when you want…_

_                                                          Oh- Oh- Oh- Oh_

_                                             And if only you could see into me…_

            The music continued, and we didn't stop dancing. Your golden blonde tresses falling in a wavy waterfall down your back to barely caress the side of my hand. 

            The softly swaying bodies around us were each caught up in a world of their own. To caught up in the pleasures of just holding each other to know – to care – what was going on around them. 

_Oh, when you're cold I'll be there to hold you tight to me_

_            Julia shivered and I wrapped my arms around her tighter, hoping my body warmth could suffice in the chilly air of the restaurant. _

            "Do you want to go sit down?" I questioned. 

            "No," she whispered soft and low. "Let's go get a drink." 

            So, I led her over to the bar where she ordered a small wine glass of champagne. I on the other hand got a shot of vodka. 

            I leaned up against the bar, as she stood in front of me, chatting and laughing. It was like music, sweet, soft, melodious music. It was a sweet tune of a small town on shore for a man who hadn't seen land in years. _I felt I hadn't heard her voice in years. _

                                        _When you're on the outside, baby and you can't get in_

_                                        I will show you, you're so much better than you know                       _

            She quickly sat down her glass when _our song came on. "Come on, Spike. We have to dance to this." She grabbed my hands and began to sway to the music once again. The slow saxophone and the piano telling a story of lost times and tragic love lives. _

            It was a song, I faintly remembered I hadn't heard in years. Again, with Julia by my side, I didn't know how that could be possible. After all, this was originally her song. 

            She tilted her head back and kissed my cheek, softly. 

            _When you're lost, and you're so alone and can't get back again  _

_                        I will find you, darling, and bring you back again_

The song was almost over, when the lights flickered and then went out completely. The only light was from the moon and it's thousands of stars coming in from the glass roof. I could see nothing as the candles flickered and most went out from the movement of the panicked bodies, only the faint flicker of moonlight reflected on Julia's lips, as if she'd kissed the stars and now wore their stardust as a souvenir.

I heard the shocking sound of breaking glass. As the roof gave way and the door fell down. The faint landings of balanced feet on the tile floor of the room reached my ears. Then the bellowing sound of a man's voice, "Spike!" 

The lights seemed to come back on, and through the shadowed darkness I could see the glowing red eyes of a man I though I had put behind bars. 

Julia's hand was in mine, warm and soft. 

I watched the gun rise in my direction, everything slowed down. The shot was fired, Julia's "No," as she swung herself in front of me. Her jerk as the bullet went into her back and she fell down to the ground. 

"NO!" I screamed, rapidly drawing out my gun and firing into the man's chest until the clicking of the gun signaled I was firing blanks. 

                        _And if you want to cry, I am here to dry your eyes _

_                                    And in no time you'll be fine…_

_                                You think I'd leave your side, baby?_

I watched the tears water up in her eyes. I leaned down and kissed them away. "I love you." I whispered against her cheek. 

"This is… a dream, right?" She choked out. 

"Yeah… A bad dream." I whispered. I watched the light in her eyes dim and fade. The life in her body slip away. Her face become a deathly white. Her body become cold. I watched her, my Julia slip away. 

"NO!" I yelled up at the ceiling. 

"Spike! Spike!" I felt somebody shaking me. Slowly the ballroom slipped away to reveal my room at my house on Mars. I looked into my wife's eyes. Faye Valentine or Spiegel now. 

"You were screaming." She explained, kissing my cheek. 

                _You know me better than that_

_Think I'd leave you when you're down on your knees?_

_                        I wouldn't do that  ___

Faye wrapped me in her arms, rocking back and forth. Now, I understood why everything seemed like it had happened so long ago. Her voice, her eyes, her. Because, that's when it was. So long ago… 

"It's only a dream, honey." She whispered into my ear. 

But the thing was; it wasn't. It had happened. Not in that particular way, no. But, she was dead. 

                                    _I'll tell you you're right when you want_

_                                                            Oh, Oh_

            I turned to Faye. "You're right. Only a dream." I kissed her on the lips. A dream that will forever haunt me. But, a dream none the less…

"I love you, Faye," I whispered into the night. 

"I love you too, Spike." 

                                                _If only you could see into me… _


End file.
